Ben Lowry: Liberal naivete about the Guantanamo inmates

As we know in Northern Ireland, it is a struggle for western democracies, such as Britain and France and the US, to balance liberal values and freedoms with stopping dangerous and dedicated terrorists.

Most of us who believe in such values dislike Guantanamo Bay and the way it detains exceptionally dangerous men without trial.

Yet many liberal-minded people seem unable to accept that any of the captives are dangerous, let alone most of them.

Some politicians in various European countries wanted to bring home prisoners.

They got their way.

The Sunday Times recently reported that a British former Guantanamo inmate abused his release to accompany that deranged mass murdering thug Jihadi John on a road trip to Portugal to meet a Syrian terrorist.

Jihadi John, in case anyone needs reminding, specialised in cutting off people’s heads slowly with a knife while they were alive and concious for crimes such as, in the case of David Haines, being a British aid worker.

Another UK inmate who received £1m in damages is fighting with one of the most frightening and evil groups in modern history, Isis.

Perhaps he has spent some of that taxpayers’ money on arms that have killed people.

Question for the critics: do you now accept that many Guantanamo inmates are incredibly dangerous?

Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter deputy editor

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